Springtime Hazards on Construction Sites

As springtime starts to spring this year, everyone is excited to get out to the jobsite and enjoy the nice weather. However, it is important to think about what changes are happening on your construction site. Most of the country experienced one of the coldest and harshest winters in decades. This severe cold has caused the soil to heave up to an elevation that is higher than it was in the autumn. Now as the spring thaw starts, the soil will start to go back down to its normal elevation, which can cause unexpected hazards on your jobsite.

So what’s the big deal?

When scaffolding or shoring is bearing on soil (usually on mud sills) this up and down movement of the soil can put undue stress on the scaffold and shoring parts, causing system failure. If the up and down movement is even and equal, no significant problems are likely to occur. However, when some areas thaw out before others due to the sun hitting different areas at different times, a significant hazard exists. Melting snow from rooftops and surrounding areas can also undermine mudsills and cause collapse.

What should you look for?

As required by OSHA, scaffolding and shoring needs to be inspected daily. This time of year, it is in your best interest to not only inspect the scaffolding daily, but to pay close attention to the individual scaffolding components as conditions change throughout the day. Check screw jacks for tightness or looseness, check mudsills for loss of bearing capacity, and check cross braces for extreme tension or miss alignment, and as always check for plumb level and square.

Enjoy the springtime thaw, and keep safe!